Dirk Wants To Retire In Dallas, If Things Change

Dirk Nowitzki, wearing an NBA Green Week T-shirt, listens to the National Anthem before playing against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 7, 2013. (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)

DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) — The Mavericks are on the edge of elimination, two Jazz wins or a combination of a Jazz win and a Mavs loss away from confirming their summer vacation starting in 9 days. It will be the first time the Mavericks haven’t made the playoff in over a decade, and a rather inglorious year in the twilight of Dirk Nowitzki’s career.

In an interview with USA Today, Nowitzki reiterated that he wants to retire as a Maverick, but put some caveats on it.

“Now that I already reached my goal (of winning it all), I really want to finish my career in Dallas,” Nowitzki told USA TODAY Sports recently. “But saying all that, I don’t want another year next year with the same as this year, (with) the frustration and playing for the eight or nine seed. I think we all know that this is a very big summer for us. (Mavericks general manager) Donnie (Nelson) knows. Cuban knows. We want to get back to the championship level.”

The idea of Nowitzki playing elsewhere seems crazy, like Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant. But then, it seemed crazy for Patrick Ewing, or Hakeem Olajuwon, or Allen Iverson… or Michael Jordan. It happens.

The big thing is that Cuban gambled that the CBA would cause teams to be way more restrictive with spending, opening doors for him to reload as his players got worse. But unfortunately, as he did with Steve Nash, he guessed wrong on when those players would decline. Tyson Chandler is a DPOY candidate and Jason Kidd is playing well in New York. Jason Terry has struggled but then, so has the entire Celtics roster.